The Lost Symbol Chapter 52-57

CHAPTER 52 Mal'akh could feel the tattooed muscles on his back rippling as he sprinted back around the building toward the open bay door of Pod 5. I must gain access to her lab. Katherine's escape had been unanticipated . . . and problematic. Not only did she know where Mal'akh lived, she now knew his true identity . . . and that he was the one who had invaded their home a decade earlier. Mal'akh had not forgotten that night either. He had come within inches of possessing the pyramid, but destiny had obstructed him. I was not yet ready. But he was ready now. More powerful. More influential. Having endured unthinkable hardship in preparation for his return, Mal'akh was poised tonight to fulfill his destiny at last. He felt certain that before the night was over, he would indeed be staring into the dying eyes of Katherine Solomon. As Mal'akh reached the bay door, he reassured himself that Katherine had not truly escaped; she had only prolonged the inevitable. He slid through the opening and strode confidently across the darkness until his feet hit the carpet. Then he took a right turn and headed for the Cube. The banging on the door of Pod 5 had stopped, and Mal'akh suspected the guard was now trying to remove the dime Mal'akh had jammed into the key panel to render it useless. When Mal'akh reached the door that led into the Cube, he located the outer keypad and inserted Trish's key card. The panel lit up. He entered Trish's PIN and went inside. The lights were all ablaze, and as he moved into the sterile space, he squinted in amazement at the dazzling array of equipment. Mal'akh was no stranger to the power of technology; he performed his own breed of science in the basement of his home, and last night some of that science had borne fruit. The Truth. Peter Solomon's unique confinement–trapped alone in the in-between–had laid bare all of the man's secrets. I can see his soul. Mal'akh had learned certain secrets he anticipated, and others he had not, including the news about Katherine's lab and her shocking discoveries. Science is getting close, Mal'akh had realized. And I will not allow it to light the way for the unworthy. Katherine's work here had begun using modern science to answer ancient philosophical questions. Does anyone hear our prayers? Is there life after death? Do humans have souls? Incredibly, Katherine had answered all of these questions, and more. Scientifically. Conclusively. The methods she used were irrefutable. Even the most skeptical of people would be persuaded by the results of her experiments. If this information were published and made known, a fundamental shift would begin in the consciousness of man. They will start to find their way. Mal'akh's last task tonight, before his transformation, was to ensure that this did not happen. As he moved through the lab, Mal'akh located the data room that Peter had told him about. He peered through the heavy glass walls at the two holographic data-storage units. Exactly as he said they would be. Mal'akh found it hard to imagine that the contents of these little boxes could change the course of human development, and yet Truth had always been the most potent of all the catalysts. Eyeing the holographic storage units, Mal'akh produced Trish's key card and inserted it in the door's security panel. To his surprise, the panel did not light up. Apparently, access to this room was not a trust extended to Trish Dunne. He now reached for the key card he had found in Katherine's lab-coat pocket. When he inserted this one, the panel lit up. Mal'akh had a problem. I never got Katherine's PIN. He tried Trish's PIN, but it didn't work. Stroking his chin, he stepped back and examined the three-inch-thick Plexiglas door. Even with an ax, he knew he would be unable to break through and obtain the drives he needed to destroy. Mal'akh had planned for this contingency, however. Inside the power-supply room, exactly as Peter had described, Mal'akh located the rack holding several metal cylinders resembling large scuba tanks. The cylinders bore the letters LH, the number 2, and the universal symbol for combustible. One of the canisters was connected to the lab's hydrogen fuel cell. Mal'akh left one canister connected and carefully heaved one of the reserve cylinders down onto a dolly beside the rack. Then he rolled the cylinder out of the power-supply room, across the lab, to the Plexiglas door of the data-storage room. Although this location would certainly be plenty close enough, he had noticed one weakness in the heavy Plexiglas door–the small space between the bottom and the jamb. At the threshold, he carefully laid the canister on its side and slid the flexible rubber tube beneath the door. It took him a moment to remove the safety seals and access the cylinder's valve, but once he did, ever so gently, he uncocked the valve. Through the Plexiglas, he could see the clear, bubbling liquid begin draining out of the tube onto the floor inside the storage room. Mal'akh watched the puddle expand, oozing across the floor, steaming and bubbling as it grew. Hydrogen remained in liquid form only when it was cold, and as it warmed up, it would start to boil off. The resulting gas, conveniently, was even more flammable than the liquid. Remember the Hindenburg. Mal'akh hurried now into the lab and retrieved the Pyrex jug of Bunsen-burner fuel–a viscous, highly flammable, yet noncombustible oil. He carried it to the Plexiglas door, pleased to see the liquid hydrogen canister was still draining, the puddle of boiling liquid inside the data-storage room now covering the entire floor, encircling the pedestals that supported the holographic storage units. A whitish mist now rose from the boiling puddle as the liquid hydrogen began turning to gas . . . filling the small space. Mal'akh raised the jug of Bunsen-burner fuel and squirted a healthy amount on the hydrogen canister, the tubing, and into the small opening beneath the door. Then, very carefully, he began backing out of the lab, leaving an unbroken stream of oil on the floor as he went. The dispatch operator handling 911 calls for Washington, D.C., had been unusually busy tonight. Football, beer, and a full moon, she thought as yet another emergency call appeared on her screen, this one from a gas-station pay phone on the Suitland Parkway in Anacostia. A car accident probably. â€Å"Nine-one-one,† she answered. â€Å"What is your emergency?† â€Å"I was just attacked at the Smithsonian Museum Support Center,† a panicked woman's voice said. â€Å"Please send the police! Forty-two-ten Silver Hill Road!† â€Å"Okay, slow down,† the operator said. â€Å"You need to–â€Å" â€Å"I need you to send officers also to a mansion in Kalorama Heights where I think my brother may be held captive!† The operator sighed. Full moon. CHAPTER 53 As I tried to tell you,† Bellamy was saying to Langdon, â€Å"there is more to this pyramid than meets the eye.† Apparently so. Langdon had to admit that the stone pyramid sitting in his unzipped daybag looked much more mysterious to him now. His decryption of the Masonic cipher had rendered a seemingly meaningless grid of letters. Chaos. For a long while, Langdon examined the grid, searching for any hint of meaning within the letters–hidden words, anagrams, clues of any sort–but he found nothing. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid,† Bellamy explained, â€Å"is said to guard its secrets behind many veils. Each time you pull back a curtain, you face another. You have unveiled these letters, and yet they tell you nothing until you peel back another layer. Of course, the way to do that is known only to the one who holds the capstone. The capstone, I suspect, has an inscription as well, which tells you how to decipher the pyramid.† Langdon glanced at the cube-shaped package on the desk. From what Bellamy had said, Langdon now understood that the capstone and pyramid were a â€Å"segmented cipher†Ã¢â‚¬â€œa code broken into pieces. Modern cryptologists used segmented ciphers all the time, although the security scheme had been invented in ancient Greece. The Greeks, when they wanted to store secret information, inscribed it on a clay tablet and then shattered the tablet into pieces, storing each piece in a separate location. Only when all the pieces were gathered together could the secrets be read. This kind of inscribed clay tablet–called a symbolon–was in fact the origin of the modern word symbol. â€Å"Robert,† Bellamy said, â€Å"this pyramid and capstone have been kept apart for generations, ensuring the secret's safety.† His tone turned rueful. â€Å"Tonight, however, the pieces have come dangerously close. I'm sure I don't have to say this . . . but it is our duty to ensure this pyramid is not assembled.† Langdon found Bellamy's sense of drama to be somewhat overwrought. Is he describing the capstone and pyramid . . . or a detonator and nuclear bomb? He still couldn't quite accept Bellamy's claims, but it hardly seemed to matter. â€Å"Even if this is the Masonic Pyramid, and even if this inscription does somehow reveal the location of ancient knowledge, how could that knowledge possibly impart the kind of power it is said to impart?† â€Å"Peter always told me you were a hard man to convince–an academic who prefers proof to speculation.† â€Å"You're saying you do believe that?† Langdon demanded, feeling impatient now. â€Å"Respectfully . . . you are a modern, educated man. How could you believe such a thing?† Bellamy gave a patient smile. â€Å"The craft of Freemasonry has given me a deep respect for that which transcends human understanding. I've learned never to close my mind to an idea simply because it seems miraculous.† CHAPTER 54 Frantically, the SMSC perimeter patrolman dashed down the gravel pathway that ran along the outside of the building. He'd just received a call from an officer inside saying that the keypad to Pod 5 had been sabotaged, and that a security light indicated that Pod 5's specimen bay door was now open. What the hell is going on?! As he arrived at the specimen bay, sure enough he found the door open a couple of feet. Bizarre, he thought. This can only be unlocked from the inside. He took the flashlight off his belt and shone it into the inky blackness of the pod. Nothing. Having no desire to step into the unknown, he moved only as far as the threshold and then stuck the flashlight through the opening, swinging it to the left, and then to the– Powerful hands seized his wrist and yanked him into the blackness. The guard felt himself being spun around by an invisible force. He smelled ethanol. The flashlight flew out of his hand, and before he could even process what was happening, a rock-hard fist collided with his sternum. The guard crumpled to the cement floor . . . groaning in pain as a large black form stepped away from him. The guard lay on his side, gasping and wheezing for breath. His flashlight lay nearby, its beam spilling across the floor and illuminating what appeared to be a metal can of some sort. The can's label said it was fuel oil for a Bunsen burner. A cigarette lighter sparked, and the orange flame illuminated a vision that hardly seemed human. Jesus Christ! The guard barely had time to process what he was seeing before the bare-chested creature knelt down and touched the flame to the floor. Instantly, a strip of fire materialized, leaping away from them, racing into the void. Bewildered, the guard looked back, but the creature was already slipping out the open bay door into the night. The guard managed to sit up, wincing in pain as his eyes followed the thin ribbon of fire. What the hell?! The flame looked too small to be truly dangerous, and yet now he saw something utterly terrifying. The fire was no longer illuminating only the darkened void. It had traveled all the way to the back wall, where it was now illuminating a massive cinder-block structure. The guard had never been permitted inside Pod 5, but he knew very well what this structure must be. The Cube. Katherine Solomon's lab. The flame raced in a straight line directly to the lab's outer door. The guard clambered to his feet, knowing full well that the ribbon of oil probably continued beneath the lab door . . . and would soon start a fire inside. But as he turned to run for help, he felt an unexpected puff of air sucking past him. For a brief instant, all of Pod 5 was bathed in light. The guard never saw the hydrogen fireball erupting skyward, ripping the roof off Pod 5 and billowing hundreds of feet into the air. Nor did he see the sky raining fragments of titanium mesh, electronic equipment, and droplets of melted silicon from the lab's holographic storage units. Katherine Solomon was driving north when she saw the sudden flash of light in her rearview mirror. A deep rumble thundered through the night air, startling her. Fireworks? she wondered. Do the Redskins have a halftime show? She refocused on the road, her thoughts still on the 911 call she'd placed from the deserted gas station's pay phone. Katherine had successfully convinced the 911 dispatcher to send the police to the SMSC to investigate a tattooed intruder and, Katherine prayed, to find her assistant, Trish. In addition, she urged the dispatcher to check Dr. Abaddon's address in Kalorama Heights, where she thought Peter was being held hostage. Unfortunately, Katherine had been unable to obtain Robert Langdon's unlisted cell-phone number. So now, seeing no other option, she was speeding toward the Library of Congress, where Langdon had told her he was headed. The terrifying revelation of Dr. Abaddon's true identity had changed everything. Katherine had no idea what to believe anymore. All she knew for certain was that the same man who had killed her mother and nephew all those years ago had now captured her brother and had come to kill her. Who is this madman? What does he want? The only answer she could come up with made no sense. A pyramid? Equally confusing was why this man had come to her lab tonight. If he wanted to hurt her, why hadn't he done so in the privacy of his own home earlier today? Why go to the trouble of sending a text message and risk breaking into her lab? Unexpectedly, the fireworks in her rearview mirror grew brighter, the initial flash followed by an unexpected sight–a blazing orange fireball that Katherine could see rising above the tree line. What in the world?! The fireball was accompanied by dark black smoke . . . and it was nowhere near the Redskins' FedEx Field. Bewildered, she tried to determine what industry might be located on the other side of those trees . . . just southeast of the parkway. Then, like an oncoming truck, it hit her. CHAPTER 55 Warren Bellamy stabbed urgently at the buttons on his cell phone, trying again to make contact with someone who could help them, whoever that might be. Langdon watched Bellamy, but his mind was with Peter, trying to figure out how best to find him. Decipher the engraving, Peter's captor had commanded, and it will tell you the hiding place of mankind's greatest treasure . . . We will go together . . . and make our trade. Bellamy hung up, frowning. Still no answer. â€Å"Here's what I don't understand,† Langdon said. â€Å"Even if I could somehow accept that this hidden wisdom exists . . . and that this pyramid somehow points to its underground location . . . what am I looking for? A vault? A bunker?† Bellamy sat quietly for a long moment. Then he gave a reluctant sigh and spoke guardedly. â€Å"Robert, according to what I've heard through the years, the pyramid leads to the entrance of a spiral staircase.† â€Å"A staircase?† â€Å"That's right. A staircase that leads down into the earth . . . many hundreds of feet.† Langdon could not believe what he was hearing. He leaned closer. â€Å"I've heard it said that the ancient wisdom is buried at the bottom.† Robert Langdon stood up and began pacing. A spiral staircase descending hundreds of feet into the earth . . . in Washington, D.C. â€Å"And nobody has ever seen this staircase?† â€Å"Allegedly the entrance has been covered with an enormous stone.† Langdon sighed. The idea of a tomb covered with an enormous stone was right out of the biblical accounts of Jesus' tomb. This archetypal hybrid was the grandfather of them all. â€Å"Warren, do you believe this secret mystical staircase into the earth exists?† â€Å"I've never seen it personally, but a few of the older Masons swear it exists. I was trying to call one of them just now.† Langdon continued pacing, uncertain what to say next. â€Å"Robert, you leave me a difficult task with respect to this pyramid.† Warren Bellamy's gaze hardened in the soft glow of the reading lamp. â€Å"I know of no way to force a man to believe what he does not want to believe. And yet I hope you understand your duty to Peter Solomon.† Yes, I have a duty to help him, Langdon thought. â€Å"I don't need you to believe in the power this pyramid can unveil. Nor do I need you to believe in the staircase it supposedly leads to. But I do need you to believe that you are morally obliged to protect this secret . . . whatever it may be.† Bellamy motioned to the little cube-shaped package. â€Å"Peter entrusted the capstone to you because he had faith you would obey his wishes and keep it secret. And now you must do exactly that, even if it means sacrificing Peter's life.† Langdon stopped short and wheeled around. â€Å"What?!† Bellamy remained seated, his expression pained but resolute. â€Å"It's what he would want. You need to forget Peter. He's gone. Peter did his job, doing the best he could to protect the pyramid. Now it is our job to make sure his efforts were not in vain.† â€Å"I can't believe you're saying this!† Langdon exclaimed, temper flaring. â€Å"Even if this pyramid is everything you say it is, Peter is your Masonic brother. You're sworn to protect him above all else, even your country!† â€Å"No, Robert. A Mason must protect a fellow Mason above all things . . . except one–the great secret our brotherhood protects for all mankind. Whether or not I believe this lost wisdom has the potential that history suggests, I have taken a vow to keep it out of the hands of the unworthy. And I would not give it over to anyone . . . even in exchange for Peter Solomon's life.† â€Å"I know plenty of Masons,† Langdon said angrily, â€Å"including the most advanced, and I'm damned sure these men are not sworn to sacrifice their lives for the sake of a stone pyramid. And I'm also damned sure none of them believes in a secret staircase that descends to a treasure buried deep in the earth.† â€Å"There are circles within circles, Robert. Not everyone knows everything.† Langdon exhaled, trying to control his emotions. He, like everyone, had heard the rumors of elite circles within the Masons. Whether or not it was true seemed irrelevant in the face of this situation. â€Å"Warren, if this pyramid and capstone truly reveal the ultimate Masonic secret, then why would Peter involve me? I'm not even a brother . . . much less part of any inner circle.† â€Å"I know, and I suspect that is precisely why Peter chose you to guard it. This pyramid has been targeted in the past, even by those who infiltrated our brotherhood with unworthy motives. Peter's choice to store it outside the brotherhood was a clever one.† â€Å"Were you aware I had the capstone?† Langdon asked. â€Å"No. And if Peter told anyone at all, it would have been only one man.† Bellamy pulled out his cell phone and hit redial. â€Å"And so far, I've been unable to reach him.† He got a voice-mail greeting and hung up. â€Å"Well, Robert, it looks like you and I are on our own for the moment. And we have a decision to make.† Langdon looked at his Mickey Mouse watch. 9:42 P.M. â€Å"You do realize that Peter's captor is waiting for me to decipher this pyramid tonight and tell him what it says.† Bellamy frowned. â€Å"Great men throughout history have made deep personal sacrifices to protect the Ancient Mysteries. You and I must do the same.† He stood up now. â€Å"We should keep moving. Sooner or later Sato will figure out where we are.† â€Å"What about Katherine?!† Langdon demanded, not wanting to leave. â€Å"I can't reach her, and she never called.† â€Å"Obviously, something happened.† â€Å"But we can't just abandon her!† â€Å"Forget Katherine!† Bellamy said, his voice commanding now. â€Å"Forget Peter! Forget everyone! Don't you understand, Robert, that you've been entrusted with a duty that is bigger than all of us–you, Peter, Katherine, myself?† He locked eyes with Langdon. â€Å"We need to find a safe place to hide this pyramid and capstone far from–â€Å" A loud metallic crash echoed in the direction of the great hall. Bellamy wheeled, eyes filling with fear. â€Å"That was fast.† Langdon turned toward the door. The sound apparently had come from the metal bucket that Bellamy had placed on the ladder blocking the tunnel doors. They're coming for us. Then, quite unexpectedly, the crash echoed again. And again. And again. The homeless man on the bench in front of the Library of Congress rubbed his eyes and watched the strange scene unfolding before him. A white Volvo had just jumped the curb, lurched across the deserted pedestrian walkway, and screeched to a halt at the foot of the library's main entrance. An attractive, dark-haired woman had leaped out, anxiously surveyed the area, and, spotting the homeless man, had shouted, â€Å"Do you have a phone?† Lady, I don't have a left shoe. Apparently realizing as much, the woman dashed up the staircase toward the library's main doors. Arriving at the top of the stairs, she grabbed the handle and tried desperately to open each of the three giant doors. The library's closed, lady. But the woman didn't seem to care. She seized one of the heavy ring-shaped handles, heaved it backward, and let it fall with a loud crash against the door. Then she did it again. And again. And again. Wow, the homeless man thought, she must really need a book. CHAPTER 56 When Katherine Solomon finally saw the massive bronze doors of the library swing open before her, she felt as if an emotional floodgate had burst. All the fear and confusion she had bottled up tonight came pouring through. The figure in the library doorway was Warren Bellamy, a friend and confidant of her brother's. But it was the man behind Bellamy in the shadows whom Katherine felt happiest to see. The feeling was apparently mutual. Robert Langdon's eyes filled with relief as she rushed through the doorway . . . directly into his arms. As Katherine lost herself in the comforting embrace of an old friend, Bellamy closed the front door. She heard the heavy lock click into place, and at last she felt safe. Tears came unexpectedly, but she fought them back. Langdon held her. â€Å"It's okay,† he whispered. â€Å"You're okay.† Because you saved me, Katherine wanted to tell him. He destroyed my lab . . . all my work. Years of research . . . up in smoke. She wanted to tell him everything, but she could barely breathe. â€Å"We'll find Peter.† Langdon's deep voice resonated against her chest, comforting her somehow. â€Å"I promise.† I know who did this! Katherine wanted to yell. The same man who killed my mother and nephew! Before she could explain herself, an unexpected sound broke the silence of the library. The loud crash echoed up from beneath them in a vestibule stairwell–as if a large metal object had fallen on a tile floor. Katherine felt Langdon's muscles stiffen instantly. Bellamy stepped forward, his expression dire. â€Å"We're leaving. Now.† Bewildered, Katherine followed as the Architect and Langdon hurried across the great hall toward the library's famed reading room, which was ablaze with light. Bellamy quickly locked the two sets of doors behind them, first the outer, then the inner. Katherine followed in a daze as Bellamy hustled them both toward the center of the room. The threesome arrived at a reading desk where a leather bag sat beneath a light. Beside the bag, there was a tiny cube-shaped package, which Bellamy scooped up and placed inside the bag, alongside a– Katherine stopped short. A pyramid? Although she had never seen this engraved stone pyramid, she felt her entire body recoil in recognition. Somehow her gut knew the truth. Katherine Solomon had just come face-to-face with the object that had so deeply damaged her life. The pyramid. Bellamy zipped up the bag and handed it to Langdon. â€Å"Don't let this out of your sight.† A sudden explosion rocked the room's outer doors. The tinkling of shattered glass followed. â€Å"This way!† Bellamy spun, looking scared now as he rushed them over to the central circulation desk–eight counters around a massive octagonal cabinet. He guided them in behind the counters and then pointed to an opening in the cabinet. â€Å"Get in there!† â€Å"In there?† Langdon demanded. â€Å"They'll find us for sure!† â€Å"Trust me,† Bellamy said. â€Å"It's not what you think.† CHAPTER 57 Mal'akh gunned his limousine north toward Kalorama Heights. The explosion in Katherine's lab had been bigger than he had anticipated, and he had been lucky to escape unscathed. Conveniently, the ensuing chaos had enabled him to slip out without opposition, powering his limousine past a distracted gate guard who was busy yelling into a telephone. I've got to get off the road, he thought. If Katherine hadn't yet phoned the police, the explosion would certainly draw their attention. And a shirtless man driving a limousine would be hard to miss. After years of preparation, Mal'akh could scarcely believe the night was now upon him. The journey to this moment had been a long, difficult one. What began years ago in misery . . . will end tonight in glory. On the night it all began, he had not had the name Mal'akh. In fact, on the night it all began, he had not had any name at all. Inmate 37. Like most of the prisoners at the brutal Soganlik Prison outside of Istanbul, Inmate 37 was here because of drugs. He had been lying on his bunk in a cement cell, hungry and cold in the darkness, wondering how long he would be incarcerated. His new cellmate, whom he'd met only twenty-four hours ago, was sleeping in the bunk above him. The prison administrator, an obese alcoholic who hated his job and took it out on the inmates, had just killed all the lights for the night. It was almost ten o'clock when Inmate 37 heard the conversation filtering in through the ventilation shaft. The first voice was unmistakably clear–the piercing, belligerent accent of the prison administrator, who clearly did not appreciate being woken up by a late-night visitor. â€Å"Yes, yes, you've come a long way,† he was saying, â€Å"but there are no visitors for the first month. State regulations. No exceptions.† The voice that replied was soft and refined, filled with pain. â€Å"Is my son safe?† â€Å"He is a drug addict.† â€Å"Is he being treated well?† â€Å"Well enough,† the administrator said. â€Å"This is not a hotel.† There was a pained pause. â€Å"You do realize the U.S. State Department will request extradition.† â€Å"Yes, yes, they always do. It will be granted, although the paperwork might take us a couple of weeks . . . or even a month . . . depending.† â€Å"Depending on what?† â€Å"Well,† the administrator said, â€Å"we are understaffed.† He paused. â€Å"Of course, sometimes concerned parties like yourself make donations to the prison staff to help us push things through more quickly.† The visitor did not reply. â€Å"Mr. Solomon,† the administrator continued, lowering his voice, â€Å"for a man like yourself, for whom money is no object, there are always options. I know people in government. If you and I work together, we may be able to get your son out of here . . . tomorrow, with all the charges dropped. He would not even have to face prosecution at home.† The response was immediate. â€Å"Forgetting the legal ramifications of your suggestion, I refuse to teach my son that money solves all problems or that there is no accountability in life, especially in a serious matter like this.† â€Å"You'd like to leave him here?† â€Å"I'd like to speak to him. Right now.† â€Å"As I said, we have rules. Your son is unavailable to you . . . unless you would like to negotiate his immediate release.† A cold silence hung for several moments. â€Å"The State Department will be contacting you. Keep Zachary safe. I expect him on a plane home within the week. Good night.† The door slammed. Inmate 37 could not believe his ears. What kind of father leaves his son in this hellhole in order to teach him a lesson? Peter Solomon had even rejected an offer to clear Zachary's record. It was later that night, lying awake in his bunk, that Inmate 37 had realized how he would free himself. If money was the only thing separating a prisoner from freedom, then Inmate 37 was as good as free. Peter Solomon might not be willing to part with money, but as anyone who read the tabloids knew, his son, Zachary, had plenty of money, too. The next day, Inmate 37 spoke privately to the administrator and suggested a plan–a bold, ingenious scheme that would give them both exactly what they wanted. â€Å"Zachary Solomon would have to die for this to work,† explained Inmate 37. â€Å"But we could both disappear immediately. You could retire to the Greek Islands. You would never see this place again.† After some discussion, the two men shook hands. Soon Zachary Solomon will be dead, Inmate 37 thought, smiling to think how easy it would be. It was two days later that the State Department contacted the Solomon family with the horrific news. The prison snapshots showed their son's brutally bludgeoned body, lying curled and lifeless on the floor of his prison cell. His head had been bashed in by a steel bar, and the rest of him was battered and twisted beyond what was humanly imaginable. He appeared to have been tortured and finally killed. The prime suspect was the prison administrator himself, who had disappeared, probably with all of the murdered boy's money. Zachary had signed papers moving his vast fortune into a private numbered account, which had been emptied immediately following his death. There was no telling where the money was now. Peter Solomon flew to Turkey on a private jet and returned with their son's casket, which they buried in the Solomon family cemetery. The prison administrator was never found. Nor would he be, Inmate 37 knew. The Turk's rotund body was now resting at the bottom of the Sea of Marmara, feeding the blue manna crabs that migrated in through the Bosporus Strait. The vast fortune belonging to Zachary Solomon had all been moved to an untraceable numbered account. Inmate 37 was a free man again–a free man with a massive fortune. The Greek Islands were like heaven. The light. The water. The women. There was nothing money couldn't buy–new identities, new passports, new hope. He chose a Greek name–Andros Dareios–Andros meaning â€Å"warrior,† and Dareios meaning â€Å"wealthy.† The dark nights in prison had frightened him, and Andros vowed never to go back. He shaved off his shaggy hair and shunned the drug world entirely. He began life anew–exploring never- before-imagined sensual pleasures. The serenity of sailing alone on the ink-blue Aegean Sea became his new heroin trance; the sensuality of sucking moist arni souvlakia right off the skewer became his new Ecstasy; and the rush of cliff diving into the foam-filled ravines of Mykonos became his new cocaine. I am reborn. Andros bought a sprawling villa on the island of Syros and settled in among the bella gente in the exclusive town of Possidonia. This new world was a community not only of wealth, but of culture and physical perfection. His neighbors took great pride in their bodies and minds, and it was contagious. The newcomer suddenly found himself jogging on the beach, tanning his pale body, and reading books. Andros read Homer's Odyssey, captivated by the images of powerful bronze men doing battle on these islands. The next day, he began lifting weights, and was amazed to see how quickly his chest and arms grew larger. Gradually, he began to feel women's eyes on him, and the admiration was intoxicating. He longed to grow stronger still. And he did. With the help of aggressive cycles of steroids intermixed with black-market growth hormones and endless hours of weight lifting, Andros transformed himself into something he had never imagined he could be–a perfect male specimen. He grew in bot h height and musculature, developing flawless pectorals and massive, sinewy legs, which he kept perfectly tanned. Everyone was looking now. As Andros had been warned, the heavy steroids and hormones changed not only his body, but also his voice box, giving him an eerie, breathy whisper, which made him feel more mysterious. The soft, enigmatic voice, combined with his new body, his wealth, and his refusal to speak about his mysterious past, served as catnip for the women who met him. They gave themselves willingly, and he satisfied them all–from fashion models visiting his island on photo shoots, to nubile American college girls on vacation, to the lonely wives of his neighbors, to the occasional young man. They could not get enough. I am a masterpiece. As the years passed, however, Andros's sexual adventures began to lose their thrill. As did everything. The island's sumptuous cuisine lost its taste, books no longer held his interest, and even the dazzling sunsets from his villa looked dull. How could this be? He was only in his midtwenties, and yet he felt old. What more is there to life? He had sculpted his body into a masterpiece; he had educated himself and nourished his mind with culture; he had made his home in paradise; and he had the love of anyone he desired. And yet, incredibly, he felt as empty as he had in that Turkish prison. What is it I am missing? The answer had come to him several months later. Andros was sitting alone in his villa, absently surfing channels in the middle of the night, when he stumbled across a program about the secrets of Freemasonry. The show was poorly done, posing more questions than answers, and yet he found himself intrigued by the plethora of conspiracy theories surrounding the brotherhood. The narrator described legend after legend. Freemasons and the New World Order . . . The Great Masonic Seal of the United States . . . The P2 Masonic Lodge . . . The Lost Secret of Freemasonry . . . The Masonic Pyramid . . . Andros sat up, startled. Pyramid. The narrator began recounting the story of a mysterious stone pyramid whose encrypted engraving promised to lead to lost wisdom and unfathomable power. The story, though seemingly implausible, sparked in him a distant memory . . . a faint recollection from a much darker time. Andros remembered what Zachary Solomon had heard from his father about a mysterious pyramid. Could it be? Andros strained to recall the details. When the show ended, he stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool air clear his mind. He remembered more now, and as it all came back, he began to sense there might be some truth to this legend after all. And if so, then Zachary Solomon–although long dead–still had something to offer. What do I have to lose? Three weeks later, his timing carefully planned, Andros stood in the frigid cold outside the conservatory of the Solomons' Potomac estate. Through the glass, he could see Peter Solomon chatting and laughing with his sister, Katherine. It looks like they've had no trouble forgetting Zachary, he thought. Before he pulled the ski mask over his face, Andros took a hit of cocaine, his first in ages. He felt the familiar rush of fearlessness. He pulled out a handgun, used an old key to unlock the door, and stepped inside. â€Å"Hello, Solomons.† Unfortunately, the night had not gone as Andros had planned. Rather than obtaining the pyramid for which he had come, he found himself riddled with bird shot and fleeing across the snow- covered lawn toward the dense woods. To his surprise, behind him, Peter Solomon was giving chase, pistol glinting in his hand. Andros dashed into the woods, running down a trail along the edge of a deep ravine. Far below, the sounds of a waterfall echoed up through the crisp winter air. He passed a stand of oak trees and rounded a corner to his left. Seconds later, he was skidding to a stop on the icy path, narrowly escaping death. My God! Only feet in front of him, the path ended, plunging straight down into an icy river far below. The large boulder at the side of the path had been carved by the unskilled hand of a child: On the far side of the ravine, the path continued on. So where's the bridge?! The cocaine was no longer working. I'm trapped! Panicking now, Andros turned to flee back up the path, but he found himself facing Peter Solomon, who stood breathless before him, pistol in hand. Andros looked at the gun and took a step backward. The drop behind him was at least fifty feet to an ice-covered river. The mist from the waterfall upstream billowed around them, chilling him to the bone. â€Å"Zach's bridge rotted out long ago,† Solomon said, panting. â€Å"He was the only one who ever came down this far.† Solomon held the gun remarkably steady. â€Å"Why did you kill my son?† â€Å"He was nothing,† Andros replied. â€Å"A drug addict. I did him a favor.† Solomon moved closer, gun aimed directly at Andros's chest. â€Å"Perhaps I should do you the same favor.† His tone was surprisingly fierce. â€Å"You bludgeoned my son to death. How does a man do such a thing?† â€Å"Men do the unthinkable when pushed to the brink.† â€Å"You killed my son!† â€Å"No,† Andros replied, hotly now. â€Å"You killed your son. What kind of man leaves his son in a prison when he has the option to get him out! You killed your son! Not me.† â€Å"You know nothing!† Solomon yelled, his voice filled with pain. You're wrong, Andros thought. I know everything. Peter Solomon drew closer, only five yards away now, gun leveled. Andros's chest was burning, and he could tell he was bleeding badly. The warmth ran down over his stomach. He looked over his shoulder at the drop. Impossible. He turned back to Solomon. â€Å"I know more about you than you think,† he whispered. â€Å"I know you are not the kind of man who kills in cold blood.† Solomon stepped closer, taking dead aim. â€Å"I'm warning you,† Andros said, â€Å"if you pull that trigger, I will haunt you forever.† â€Å"You already will.† And with that, Solomon fired. As he raced his black limousine back toward Kalorama Heights, the one who now called himself Mal'akh reflected on the miraculous events that had delivered him from certain death atop that icy ravine. He had been transformed forever. The gunshot had echoed only for an instant, and yet its effects had reverberated across decades. His body, once tanned and perfect, was now marred by scars from that night . . . scars he kept hidden beneath the tattooed symbols of his new identity. I am Mal'akh. This was my destiny all along. He had walked through fire, been reduced to ashes, and then emerged again . . . transformed once more. Tonight would be the final step of his long and magnificent journey.

Investments for Inflationary and Deflationary Environments Essay

Inflation is the raise of a price level of good and services over a period of time. When there is an inflation each unit of currency buys fewer goods than it was possible before. Inflation affects can be both positive and negaive. Positive effect inclule ensuring that central banks will ajust real interest rates and encaurage investment in non-moneaty capital projects and the negative side is that people hav uncertainty over future and can damage investments and savings. Inflation can be cosed because of big amount of money supply. So now what are the best investments during inflation? The good thing is that there are some places there money investments will be secured. Important during inflationary environment is to avoid having cash, it is good not to hold cash for long time and allocate it into other assets and investments. It is very good to invest cash into gold or other precious meas. It always casts a lot after the inflation or crises. Gold is seen as a hedge against uncertainty and store of value. Investing into gold is possible to buy gold or just to invest into company which are mining gold. It is profitable to invest in crude oil, a lot of people invest into it as a protection against inflation. Oil is inelastic supply, so any decrease or increase in price would not result the increase or decrease in supply. There is many ways investing into crude oil with its con and pros. If you want to invest in short fixed income, you should avoid the US treasure because they may underperform. When yields start to raise bond price will fall. This investment provides a return in the form of fixed periodic payments and eventual return of principal at maturity. Investing into technology is also very good both at deflationary and inflationary environment. Does not matter on an environment technology is in demand and will continue to evolve. It is good and profitable to buy treasure protected securities so called TIPS, it gives a safety of the government bonds during inflation. Deflation is the opposite of inflation, decrease in the general price-level of goods and services. Deflation occurred when inflation rate falls below 0%. Deflation increases the real value of money. While deflation cash is â€Å"king†. It the rule number one, cash is one of the best and the most safety investment at the deflationary environment. Pay off debts is also very good while deflationary time. It is a period when every single dollar matters, each dollar can be profitable in future. Companies may have problems while deflation, so it is very good to invest in companies which have ideal short selling targets. Buy also high quality dividend paying stocks. While most of the firms will lose pricing power large cap high quality companies will dominate their industries and will be able to maintain pricing power. Seek companies with pristine balance. While deflation, house prices fall, as such it is better or rent rather than own. While deflation technology will still be in demand. The technology was announces as one of the best areas to allocate capital in high quality equities. As we already know TIPs are long-term protection while inflationary environment. But there is an opinion that deflation will lead to inflation after a period of time. This is an early protection in deflationary environment to avoid problems in future.

Allegory in Lord of the Flies Essay

In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, which is set during World War II, English school boys, escaping war in England, crash on a deserted tropical island. From the protected environment of boarding school, the boys are suddenly thrust into a situation where they must fend for themselves. In order to survive, the boys copy their country’s rule for a civilized life by electing a leader, Ralph. He promises order, discipline, and rules for the boys so that they form a small civilized society. This civilized society does not last. Struggling with Jack who wants to be the leader and the boys’ fears of the unknown, Ralph is unable to maintain control, and the boys fulfill Golding’s perspective that human nature is inherently negative as the boys become savages that brutally and viciously kill. Golding creates an allegory by using symbols to show his pessimistic view of human nature through the boys’ desire for civilization, their struggle against evil, and their descent into savagery. Golding develops the allegory using symbols of the boys’ desire for civilization. Leadership and reasoning are represented by the symbols of Ralph and the conch and Piggy and his glasses. Finding a conch on the beach, Ralph uses it to keep law and order or peace among the boys. â€Å"Ralph grasped the idea and hit the shell with air from his diaphragm. Immediately the thing sounded† (15). Blowing into the conch, Ralph assembles the boys for meetings. He uses the conch to promote fair play by passing it around so that each boy has the opportunity to speak freely and express himself. â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking† (39). Ralph represents the order that is necessary in a civilized society, and the conch is the means by which he establishes this order. In addition to establishing order, Ralph organizes the boys into separate groups like hunters, gatherers, and shelter makers to aid the survival of the group giving more evidence of his leadership abilities. Ralph delegates one responsibility to Jack making him in charge of the hunters. Although the boys would prefer to have fun and play games, they follow Ralph’s rules at first. This order is maintained until Ralph loses his leadership role to Jack. After providing, or bribing, the boys with juicy pig meat, Jack asks â€Å"’Who’ll join my tribe and have fun? ’† (211). This lure of enjoyment along with the promise of more food sways the boys to follow Jack. With the demise of Ralph’s leadership and under the leadership of Jack, the boys begin to turn towards savagery. From this point on, the change in the leadership brings with it the transformation of the boys from ordered society to savages. Through the downfall of Ralph’s leadership and the resulting descent into savagery, Golding is able to reveal how the dark side of human nature can prevail. Golding’s character Piggy portrays the voice of reasoning and logic and his glasses symbolize his wisdom. Ralph recognizes Piggy’s ability to think with clarity and soon depends upon him in his role as leader. Piggy’s idea to use the conch to assemble all the survivors leads to Ralph’s election as leader. Ralph uses Piggy’s ideas for building shelter and Piggy’s glasses to ignite the signal fire. â€Å"Ralph moved the lenses back and forth, this way and that, till a glossy white image of the declining sun lay on a piece of the rotten wood† (30). Golding shows his pessimistic view of human nature as Piggy, whose ideas and logical thoughts have been so important to the boys’ survival, becomes irrational. Once the voice of reason, Piggy refuses to accept his role in the death of Simon. The destruction and loss of his glasses destroys Piggy’s ability to see clearly and decreases his ability to influence the actions of the group. Upon an attack, Piggy, who once refused to believe in the beast, thinks Jack is the beast and cries out â€Å"’It’s come! ’ gasped Piggy. ‘It’s real! † (233). Piggy continues to believe the group of boys will respond to logic when he asks them if it is better to be like savages and kill or to have order and be rescued. The boys remain silent when Roger pushes a big rock on Piggy to kill him. â€Å"Piggy, saying nothing, with no time for even a grunt, traveled through the air sideways from the rock, turning over as he went† (255-256). With the death of Piggy, who was the icon of reasoning, Golding shows that the dark side of human nature triumphs over reasoning and rational thinking. Golding extends the allegory by exploring the boys’ struggle against evil with the beast symbolizing the boys’ fears of evil and Jack as the symbol of the lure of evil. At one of their first meetings, the boys discuss their predicament with optimism that they will soon be rescued, and until that time, they will enjoy the freedom of the island. One of the smallest boys is urged by his peers to come forward to speak and asks reluctantly what will be done about the beast. The others laugh at him until he describes the beast as a big, snakelike creature that comes in the dark wanting to eat him. Ralph tries to dismiss the boy’s ideas as merely a nightmare, but the crowd did not completely believe him. â€Å"The eyes that looked so intently at him were without humor† (44). This moment plants the seeds of fear in the boys’ hearts that will later unleash their inner savage. Ralph returns to the topic of the beast at another meeting in hopes of calming the worries that began with the littluns and spread throughout the group. At this meeting Jack takes the conch and attempts to convince the boys again that the beast is just in their imagination. â€Å"’The thing is – fear can’t hurt you any more than a dream’† (110). Even Piggy speaks up to say that there is nothing such as the beast to be afraid of in the forest until he has the realization: â€Å"’Unless we get frightened of people. ’† (113). Golding’s development of the boys’ fears using the beast shows the struggle of humans with their inner selves and the evil that lies within. Golding creates the character Jack as a catalyst for the allegory by his luring of the boys into the evilness of savagery. When Jack first attempts to kill a pig, he hesitates because he still belongs to the civilization he left when the plane crashed. The pause was only long enough for them to understand what an enormity the downward stroke would be† (35). At this point, Jack changes. He loses the sense of self that resists the lure of evil and begins his descent to his dark side. â€Å"He snatched his knife out of the sheath and slammed it into a tree trunk. Next time there would be no mercy† (35-36). Jack becomes obsessed with hunting and works to perfect his weapons and his stealth. Jack dons a mask that frees him from his self-consciousness and shame creating a new person ready to kill. Jack takes some boys with him and kills a pig. When they returned, all are chanting â€Å"’Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood. ’† (90). Jack transforms the young boys from innocent children to violent killers. Golding uses Jack to lure the others to evil and awaken their inner savage instincts. Golding’s allegory is further developed by his description of the boys’ descent into savagery symbolized by the deaths of the pig and Piggy. Golding shows Roger’s descent into savagery when Roger, excited and blood thirsty, begins a brutal attack on the pig. He plunged his spear into the pig and â€Å"began to push down with all his weight. The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high pitched scream† (189). Roger’s sense of elation derived from killing the pig makes him want more blood. Roger delves deeper into savagery as he takes the life of a fellow human being. No longer killing just for survival, Roger finds satisfaction in the death of Piggy. â€Å"Roger, with a sense of delirious abandonment, leaned all his weight on the lever† (255). Crushing Piggy with the rock, Roger silences Piggy forever. With Piggy’s death, Roger has committed murder, the ultimate crime. Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel in which Golding uses the symbols of the conch, Piggy’s glasses, the beast, Jack, and Roger to reveal his views that human nature is innately evil. Through the boys’ desire for civilization, their struggle against evil, and their descent into savagery, Golding portrays humankind as civilized only on the surface with evil lurking just beneath. As Piggy said â€Å"’What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages? ’† (122).

Giving Negative Feedback Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Giving Negative Feedback - Essay Example According to the study Kat criticized Pao regarding the latter’s fickleness in accepting work opportunities. The author knows the conversation ended badly, with Pao walking away and not speaking to Kat until today. He decided to talk to Kat to provide her a negative feedback on what she did, and at the same time to make her understand the impact of her words and actions to Pao. He wanted to apply the tips he read about giving criticisms. The result is a success because Kat accepted the criticisms constructively, and even decided to talk to Pao again using the same techniques as the reporter did with her. Criticizing Constructively Behavior versus Person It was somewhat expected that Kat will immediately react negatively one he starts with the criticism. However, he still tried to diffuse the possible initial negative reaction by making sure that Kat understand he is criticizing the action and not the person. This paper outlines that description versus Judgment The second strat egy the reporter used is â€Å"focus[ing] feedback on description rather than judgment†. He feels that this is very important to avoid making Kat feel that he is judging her immediately. So, instead of telling Kat that, â€Å"You were harsh with Pao when you told him he is so fickle minded.,† he instead told Kat that, â€Å"Your voice was really higher-pitched and louder than usual, and you were pointing you finger at him on several instances.†   There was actually no way for her to dispute facts that we both know to be true. It would have been easier for Kat to dispute my words had they been personal judgments. Specific Situation versus Abstract Characteristic The third strategy the reporter used is â€Å"focus[ing] feedback on behavior related to a specific situation rather than an abstract characteristic† . This proved to be effective because she seemed to be more open to listen on how that incident was wrong in many ways. This could be because focus ing on a specific incident made us focus on the actions and words, rather than on the general characteristic of the person (Kat).  

The Young Victoria (Movie, 2008) as an example of Symbolic Activity Essay

The Young Victoria (Movie, 2008) as an example of Symbolic Activity and Performance Theories - Essay Example He then realizes that the Queen exerts little influence over her daughter, something that makes him have Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, his nephew seduce Victoria. King Leopold 1 then ordered Baron Stockmar to help Prince Albert learn Victoria’s interest such as her favorite music, opera and novels (Vallà ©e 08:58). The King’s family is then invited into the Duchess household where Albert and Victoria eventually develop an interest for one another. The rest of the movie then revolves around Queen Victoria’s reign and her marriage to Prince Albert. Therefore, this paper primarily focuses on illustrating how this film is as an example of symbolic activity and performance theories. According to Burke, life is a drama that involves conflict and division, which threatens some existing order (Wood 104). This idea applies to a number of scenes in the film. For instance, little Victoria is deeply unhappy with her lifestyle and strict rules imposed on her. She claims that the palace itself seems to be a prison (Vallà ©e 01:44). This is because of the chill that fills the rooms and coldness that largely emanate from her close adviser and the duchess. She is also isolated from other children with her company mainly comprising of servants. She is trying to amuse herself as much as she can through watching TV and playing with the dog, but this only seems to be limited entertainment. It seems that Victoria is not satisfied with the things happening in her life at that stage. This led to a series of conflict between her mother, close adviser and herself. From the film, there is a scene when Victoria tells Sir John Conroy that she is currently too smart to be controlled. However, Sir Conroy uses force to make Victoria obey her pieces of advice. In this scene, Victoria is trying to pursue perfection, which makes her guilty.

Decision- making case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Decision- making case study - Essay Example The Informed Decisions Toolbox (IDT) was developed to assist managers in efficient use of six key steps in evidence-informed decision making. These steps include: framing the management question, finding sources of information, assessing the accuracy of information, assessing the applicability of information, determining the actionability of the evidence and determining whether the information is adequate. The IDT allows managers to take control of the decision making process to enhance the performance of their organizations (Rundall et al., 2007). The issue arising due to the budget cut at Medicaid requires decision making based on careful consideration. Using information from â€Å"Informed Decisions Toolbox: Tools for Knowledge Transfer and Performance Improvement† we can determine which tools would be the most appropriate to use for decision making at Medicaid. The decision making process for Medicaid would begin with framing the question. Medicaid requires selection of the most optimum mix of medical services within the prescribed budget. For this we need to understand which services yield most benefit to the stakeholders including employees, regulatory agencies, patients and payers affected by our decision, and which services are most critical for our operations and which ones can be disposed of without having a tremendous impact on the organization and its stakeholders. This step would set the foundation based on which we can proceed towards seeking the best possible solution for the problem and yield maximum benefits for all concerned. This step would provide a clear definition of the issue and also highlight what information needs to be collected. The second step would require us to find appropriate sources of information. For the situation under discussion it would be beneficial to extract useful information from sources both external and internal. This stage would

Occupational health and safety Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Occupational health and safety - Case Study Example This research will begin with the statement that Occupational Healthy Safety (OHS) has the responsibility of ensuring that people engaged in employment are safe and healthy while at work.   It is an organ that fights for the welfare of employees and advocates for a healthy and safe working environment. As a working environment, it is an interaction of different people like customers, staff, and family members. Therefore, for the effectiveness of health and safety of those involved, OHS system should be active in an organization so as to avoid injuries and deaths that result from a dangerous working environment. Human life should be treated sacredly by taking preventive measures that will create confidence with the workers to offer their service without fear. Companies, which do not take such measures, expose their workers to dangerous consequences inform of injuries.   These injuries make workers stay home while nursing their wounds and pain. When people are not able to attend to their normal duties at work, they affect service delivery, which was seen through the limited returns that the company realizes. Titanic Cove Resort (TCR) is a business firm found in Byron Bay, which provides conference facilities, accommodation services, and food and beverage choices among many to their customers. This indicates that being a service industry; it has 420 members of staff, who attend to approximately 800 guests that visit the business. This paper shall discuss the efficiency of OHS system in TCR in detail, and suggest recommendations that will improve the safety and health of TCR employees and customers. Breaches in WHS Legislation According to New South Wales legislation The world Health Organization and the New South Wales legislation in Australia have a common ground in regard to occupational health and safety (Levy & Wegman 2005). According to these two organs, it is the duty of occupational health to maintain a high level of psychological and bodily safety to workers so as to avoid risks that come with working conditions. The working environment should be improved to create a reliable condition that will protect workers from work related risks. Companies should create a positive climate which would enable workers to improve their productivity in the business. TCR has shown a breach of New South Wales legislation since it has not promoted health safety. The case study indicated that a bar attendant was assaulted by an intoxicated person. This attendant was hospitalized and was to be laid off for tree weeks. This was not according to the labor legislation, which advocates for a suitable working environment. As an employer, TCR should provide securi ty for her employees while at work, but this incident where one of her works suffered these injuries, indicates a breach of legislation. Secondly, the working environment does not promote a healthy and safety climate. This was shown when a fight broke in the firm, and the security offered to go and settle the dispute, but instead he was knocked and became unconscious. This shows that TCR does not uphold occupational health and safety hence a breach of legislation in the company. Cost and Benefits of Occupational Health The above illustration indicates that the current level of occupational health and safety is not legal compliance. When workers are exposed to risks that harm their lives, they lead the company to an extra cost of providing for their medical treatment (Alston 1994). Such expenses can be avoided if the occupational health and safety system is upheld. Lack of proper occupational health may lead to deaths that make families lose their loved ones, who in this case are the bread winners. The loss of a family bread winner indicates that other family members will face challenges in meeting their basic needs. This propagates the rate of poverty in the society. Families that lose their loved ones undergo pain and grief and take time to accept the departure of their friend or relative. Therefore, to avoid such

Effective Leadership and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effective Leadership and Management - Essay Example Leadership skills direct everyone in the group towards the same direction and harness their efforts collectively. Leadership is about energizing the people towards a goal and does contribute significantly. Therefore in simple terms, it can be said that leadership is the ability of an individual to influence a group or an individual in a cooperative manner that helps in achieving the organizational goals. Leaders are seen and expected to have excellent skills for maintaining human relations. Human relation is the term that signifies how well an individual can adjust with each other while working in a group. Groups that work well together, has respect for each other and have an understanding between them surely perform better than any other group that is characterized by hostility, misunderstanding, negative feeling and lack of respect between the members (Burrow, Everard and Kleindl, 2007). Hence, it becomes necessary that the leadership skills are there in every group, which will dri ve others to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. Thus, leadership is the key factor that leads to the success of the group. Management The term management is defined as the process of supervising and conducting a work in an efficient and effective manner to its completion through other people. In this definition, the term process refers to the primary activities of the manager. Efficiency and effectiveness deal with what the team is doing and how it could and will be done. Efficiency is about conducting the task in a correct manner and maintaining the relationship between outputs and inputs. For example, in cases where the output is more than the given effort, it referred as increased efficiency. Increase is efficiency is also signified by same output from fewer numbers of resources (Denning, 2013). Hence, good management is concerned about achieving the goal in an efficient and effective manner, thereby minimizing the cost involved in the resources. The components of management processes are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Planning is the component that covers defining the organizational goals, creating a strategy with the aim at accomplishing these goals, developing the hierarchy plan and coordinating the whole process for achieving these goals. Organizing includes helping the individuals to identify their tasks, ascertaining how and by whom the task will be accomplished, who will be coordinating the whole activity and how the decision making will be done. Leading is the process of guiding and getting the work done. This is the process where the managers will aim at motivating the employees, direct the activities, selecting the effective communication channel and resolving the conflicts that the group members may have. The last step is controlling which is concerned with the monitoring the performance of the employees and the actual performances are compared to the set goals. On the basis of monitoring, rectifications are mad e if any deviation is found in the actual performance from the expected one (Robbins, et al., n.d.). Relationship between Leadership and Management Management and leadership cannot be separated. Regardless of locations, whether it is a school, factory, village, city, country, province or an organization, people with leadership rights are entitled to the management rights too. A leadership process certainly includes all the management proces

Efficiency in a Unit of a District Health Authority Essay

Efficiency in a Unit of a District Health Authority - Essay Example Also, managers will have a hard job ÃŽ ¿f finding out how to improve things. Good communication ensures that people are all aiming and working towards one common goal. By communicating effectively the management can explain objectives and employees have the chance to share their views. There are many ways that managers can communicate with the staff it can be written or verbal. There is a lack ÃŽ ¿f formality with staff and the workplace is ÃŽ ¿f a relaxed atmosphere. There is not a lot ÃŽ ¿f organisational structure evident this is apparent as the dietary department is run by a team and there is no manager, however, there is a senior nurse. Nurses had to help with administrative duties to help clear the backlog. They were doing the job ÃŽ ¿f the receptionist; the receptionist was not carrying out their duties. There are a mixture ÃŽ ¿f views on how the department should be run. It is good to have a mixture ÃŽ ¿f views however this can cause conflict and also shows lack ÃŽ ¿f direction. When employees have different views they will priories differently. With a proper organisation, chart introduced it would help to overcome the informality within the department as it would clearly state the different staff levels and make objectives become unified. Authority will then flow through the hierarchy. Hierarchies can motivate staff. Maslow’s hierarchy ÃŽ ¿f needs show that different things motivate people and that they have needs to be satisfied. Employees must be satisfied to work properly. He also theorized that a person could not recognise or pursue the next higher need in the hierarchy unit her or his recognized need was substantially or completely satisfied, a concept called Prepotency. According to various works of literature on motivation, it suggests that individuals often have problems consistently articulating what they want from a job and this would have been no different in the case ÃŽ ¿f East Neasden’s clinical staff. Therefore, a problem could be that the non- clinical staff such the general manager ignored that these members ÃŽ ¿f staff said that they want, instead of telling them what he ( the new general manager) wants, based on what managers believe most people want under the circumstances.  Ã‚  

Study abroad Essay Example for Free

Study abroad Essay Having the chance to study Fashion Merchandising in Fashion Institute of Technology in the United States is a rare opportunity given to any international student.   My direct exposure to the fashion industry in New York has strengthened my knowledge on the complexities and competitiveness of the business.   However, my keen interest to succeed in this field should not begin and end in developing a strong fashion sense.   I also need to enhance my organization and networking skills and learn to deal with distributors and various markets around the world in order to be globally competitive. One of the steps that I need to take is to expand my social, cultural and economic horizon by taking Liberal Arts subjects in Yonsei University, the university that is known in developing students to become servant leaders to the world community. Since childhood, I have a keen interest in the field of fashion and as I continue to grow in knowledge about the intricate world of this industry, I am now at a stage where I want to prepare for an endeavor where I can combine both my interest and skills in fashion and my desire to create jobs for my countrymen in Korea.   Studying Liberal Arts would help me develop strong analytical stills and broad foundation of knowledge that would prepare me to cope in this highly competitive career. Yonsei University, being one of the leading universities in the world, has foreign enrollees from different parts of the globe.  Ã‚   Being with students of different nationalities would pave the way towards cultural appreciation and awareness that would help me design and market fashionable products using materials from different countries. Although being a Korean would give me the edge in adjusting to the country and to the local students in the university, I am still interested to gain more knowledge so I can share what I have learned to the students at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.   This effort is my way of sharing my blessings to other students so they could apply the knowledge that they have gained from my experience to their field of endeavor.

The disintegration of religion

The disintegration of religion The disintegration of religion Secularism is understood as the disintegration of religion from democratic process of a state. In our society, social, political and economical values and decisions are highly integrated and, more often than not, are created and based around a backbone of theology and religion. It is because of this structure that secularism cannot be a functional element of the western world. For the purpose of this paper I will concentrate on Americas continued infatuation with religion and religious practices. To be more specific on Secularism in the western world I want to concentrate on America to be able to expand and fully understand the close ties that exists between Americas government and the religious right. American economic and social policies have created a sort of free market when it comes to its citizens desire for religious choice. Since there is a large variety of religions within the United States, it is only natural for people to be interested in what these different denominations have to offer and if these offerings appeal to them. According to Anderson, the amount and intensity of religiosity a culture exhibits depend on the quality and quantity of religion available. (Anderson) The ease of accessibility of religion in America can thus be perceived as the flood of religion, and when religious becomes pluralistic it also becomes more active, energetic and integrated into peoples lives. It is important to recognize the dominance of religious belief in America to fully understand the integration of religious ideas and practices into democratic decisions. Upward of 60 percent of Americans (nearly thrice the European percentage) claim that religion plays a very important role in their daily lives, and more than 80 percent of Americans profess belief in God. (Anderson) If there is such a high percentage of Americans claiming that religion plays a direct role in their daily lives, the heavy incorporation of religion into democratic procedures and decisions comes as no shock. With many Americans using religion to help them make decisions on a day to day basis through their interaction with others it is difficult to persuade them to disintegrate Church and State. The United States has more religious institutions per capita than any other nation on Earth. With religion being so profoundly integrated into American society, it follows that religion must also play a key role in their democratic and social practices. The general opinion is that government in the United States can be separate from its members religious views. Although this seems like an ideal situation for governing a state of many people, this is not reality. American foreign and domestic laws are put in place in an attempt to halt perceived evil doings. These perceptions are created and bestowed into our minds because of our individual religious beliefs. These evil doings are understood and thought as being evil because of some sort of religious connotation and backbone of belief that the acts that these laws are restricting are bad. A large reason why people look for religious truth is to reinforce some form of good, or light at the end of the tunnel. The notion of good and evil comes from the issue of human morality and human morality steams from some sort of religious belief. Religion is now the most powerful predictor of party identification and partisan voting intention. (Anderson) American political parties are shaping the message they convey to their people based on what these people want to hear. When people of a state are told what must be done in order to achieve and create a better country for its citizens they are expecting to hear what they, themselves would do in particular situations that arise when governing a country. In order for political parties to gain confidence from their projected voting populous they must present their arguments for change in ways their voters can agree and rejoice upon. With the majority of Republican supporters commencing from Christian faith it is a matter of excellent political strategy to completely integrate your potential governmental policies around that of the Christian faith, to also have party leaders who are committed Christians themselves, and to show and promote an agenda of Political change according t o the doctrines of that religious faith. Through polling, it has become evident that Republican supporters throughout the United States are heavily involved in religious practices. Many believe that the Republication Party is becoming an extension of the Religious Right in the United States. The Republican Party, its members and its followers all share a similar religious view, and many consider the Party to have a faith-based initiative and agenda for the American people. This integration of beliefs between Party and people is essential to the Partys political success. The Partys views on domestic and foreign policy are fueled by these similar beliefs that they share with their devoted followers, which are rooted directly within religion. Even through present modernization of the world, its understanding how things work, and advances in modern science, American political parties, government, and social organizations are holding onto their devoted religious values and stick to their known right of religious practice. Americ an secularists must face the fact that most U.S. citizens believe in God (Stout). These people are going to elect representatives that they believe have the ability and willpower to protect the constitutional rights as fellow believers and to also act on those beliefs as deemed necessary. During the American year 2000 election, four out of every ten votes George W. Bush received were from Christian voters. This is a very significant amount of votes when understanding the impact they have to decide the winner of an election. The interests of a religious group can be taken care of when one can ensure the candidate is willing to push Christian values and gets voted in through the power of numbers. Amongst American voters, white Evangelical people now make up nearly two thirds of American registered voters. (Anderson) Through the power of election, these religious conservatives shape the way American society interacts with itself and dictates Americas foreign policy through a very specific religious agenda. American views on family life, charity, correctional facilities, drug laws, welfare, etc. are all fueled by the backbone that the country has in its administrations present and past religious integrations. The hidden shadow of religious belief surrounding all aspects o f American life acts to quietly regulate their national and domestic agenda with an attempt to avoid a backlash from non-believers. These actions have the approval and they resonate with many American peoples, (though they horrify countless secular, relativistic American and European peoples), with the power of democracy; majority wins. In European countries there is a trend shifting away from the integration of Church, people, and State as many people in these countries are now removed from their religious constraints. It is believed that the push towards modernity in a state brings about secularist changes. This is most noticeable in European countries where attendance at religious services is declining considerably. Religious organizations within Europe are seeing a decline in attendance, an increase in the median age of believers, and indifference in beliefs. Almost all of Western Europes spiritual existence now conveys the sagacity of collapse and lack of interest. Young Europeans are apt to a more individualistic and secular approach in their daily lives and this is reflected in their social, democratic, and economic views, which can be directly correlated with their dealings- not only domestically but abroad as well. If the modernity of Western European countries is pushing social and democratic views towards a more secular state, then why has this not occurred within the United States and the rest of the western world? If modernity inevitably brings secularism, a disenchantment of the world, then how is it that the United States-the modern nation par excellence-is so religious? (Anderson) The European modernity movement has fashioned a division of church and state, while the modernization of the Unites States has brought about very heavy integration of Church and State, thereby further uniting religion and democracy in solitary. With the continued integration of religious beliefs into American Politics, many around the world are concerned over where the American political agenda is headed in terms of foreign relations and policy. There is a thought that the fundamentalist views located within American politics are slowly hijacking the United States and their state of being. With modern science being so integrated into peoples lives it is startling to believe how many Americans believe perceived absolute religious truth over scientific evidence and testimony Three times as many Americans believe in the Virgin Birth as in Evolution. (Anderson) Many believe that Americas foreign policy during the Bush administration was fueled by a religious agenda. Forcing the religious nature of the United States and their Christian values on whomever they see as different and less superior has been seen in many instances throughout the Bush administrations term in office. Americas crusade in the Muslim world is seen as a push of their religious views on people whom they see as different and with less superior religious conclusions; this is all said to be masked by a war on terror. Many believe that this religious crusade coul d also push the United States to cut its foreign aid to countries that use the acquired assistance in ways that may not be religiously accepted at home, i.e. to hand out birth control to its citizens. On the other hand there are various specific historical instances where true change would not have been able to come about had secularist views been followed, for example the South African triumph over apartheid and the Polish triumph over Soviet oppression. (Stout) If during the African triumph over apartheid Nelson Mandela had taken a secular stance against the apartheid then he would have not gained the support of African and World Churches. If during the Polish triumph religious intervention did not exist then Poland would be at a standstill and a dead end. In these instances the integration of Church and State is very important and helped break constraining and persecuting road blocks. The integration of Church and State within the United States dictates how America interacts with other nations, and with other nations focusing on becoming more secular by disintegrating Church and State foreign relations between America and many countries is being severely tainted. Understanding the implications of a secular world living with a very non-secular United States is very important when understanding and contemplating the correction of foreign relationships throughout the world. Secularism is understood as the disintegration of religion from democratic process of a state. In America, social and political standards are greatly incorporated, shaped and implemented based around a composition of theology and religion. It is because of this very integrated structure that secularism is not a practical component of the western world, more particularly in the United States of America. Democratic secularists in America face a very difficult predicament and when they take their opinions, attempt to act on them through action, they are likely to fall short when attempted to be fully put into use. True secularists in America seem to lack strategy and their means have no end, and that at the crucial point in the argument, everything becomes vague (Stout).

Visiting Innsbruck †Gem of Tyrol! Popular destinations

Visiting Innsbruck – Gem of Tyrol! Popular destinations Innsbruck – Gem of Tyrol! Hallo! (Welcome in German) Innsbruck, the capital city of Tyrol is located in the middle of the Alps making it an awesome location for a vacation! It is most famous for its largest ski resort and has hosted the Winter Olympics twice. The name Innsbruck means ‘the bridge over the inn’. Innsbruck, which brings back pictures of snow and skiing between the Alps, is the perfect place to ski with spectacular surroundings. It is a paradise for a person who loves snow and skiing! The beautiful surroundings with snow clad mountains make it a perfect Alps getaway location. Best Season to Visit Innsbruck Innsbruck, being located in Central Europe enjoys a Continental climate with cold and snowy winters. The temperature during winter nights can go below -10 degree Celsius. During the fall season, hotels are cheaper, but you will miss the best part of the surroundings as they are without snow and without skiing. Spring lasts for a short time with slightly warmer days and cool nights. Summers (June to August) in Innsbruck are quite unpredictable with sunny, rainy or hot days and with a huge range of temperatures. However, the summer months are the main tourist season. Highlights (Special things to do in Innsbruck) Explore the beautiful 16th century Renaissance castle Schloss Ambras that is located on a hill. Visit the city’s famous symbol the Golden Roof (Goldenes Dach), which was earlier used by the emperor and his wife to watch the festivities. Ride the cable car to the Patscherkofel mountain ski area with stunning landscapes all around. Ski jump at the Bergisel Ski Jump. This has to be one of the top things to do in Innsbruck. Hike along the mountain trails soaking in breathtaking views of snow clad mountains at the North Park. Spend a leisure afternoon at the Botanical Garden where nature is at its best! Spend an entire day at the various city museums – Alpine Club Museum, Anatomical Museum, Tyrolean Folk Art Museum and several others. Stroll along Maria-Theresien-Strasse to best experience the city. Watch a spectacular musical or opera performance at the state theatre Tiroler Landestheater. Visit the Alpen zoo located by the hill with alpine animals, birds and other rare animals. Hotspots of Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse: This is the most famous place in the city for shopping, restaurants, cafes, pubs or just to enjoy a stroll with friends and family. Kaufhaus Tyrol , 6 floors of exquisite shopping paradise is located here. The architecture of the surrounding buildings with snow clad mountains in the background gives a different feel to the city. It is a perfect place to enjoy the beautiful surroundings at the courtyard cafes. This is not a place to be missed on your Innsbruck holiday! Schloss Ambras: The most popular tourist attraction in Innsbruck is the Ambras castle (Schloss Ambras in German). This castle has an interesting collection from the sixteenth century that includes silk paintings, rhinoceros horn goblets, bronze works, glass porcelain and ivory figures. The gardens here are beautiful with small waterfalls and forest trails. Bergisel Ski Jump: This is a place you cannot miss in Innsbruck. It is located on a hill and offers an unforgettable experience to ski while being surrounded by the most beautiful landscapes. If you visit at the end of January/February, you can watch the International Four Hills Tournament and other snowboarding competitions here. There is a tower restaurant and a museum here that offers great views of the beautiful snow clad mountain landscapes. Patscherkofel: A famous Alps mountain ski area, Patscherkofel is one of the best places to ski. Few of the Olympic events in the past were held at the Patscherkofel ski area. It is an unbelievable snow clad mountain that offers a panoramic view! The cable car to reach the top offers stunning views on the way. Shopping in Innsbruck Kaufhaus Tyrol is the most famous shopping destination in Innsbruck with 6 floors of an international shopping experience. DEZ Einkaufszentrum is very popular with the tourists as it was the first shopping arcade in Austria with over a 100 stores and restaurants and cafes. Swarovski Kristallwelten is one that cannot be missed even if you do not want to shop. The entrance to this place is a waterfall from a giant face with crystal eyes; there is a museum and a store to buy the world famous Swarovski crystals or jewelry or articles made of crystal. You can buy souvenirs, crystals and other porcelain artistic items in the old town. The old town is the best place to in indulge in authentic and artistic local shopping. Maria-Theresien-Strasse is known for its shopping as well as restaurants and cafes. How to reach Innsbruck By Air – Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport is the largest airport in Tyrol and it is well connected to all major cities in Europe with regular flights. There are seasonal flights to/from UK, Hamburg, Netherlands and Berlin. Munich Airport is 2.5 hours from Innsbruck; there are buses and vans available from the airport to Innsbruck. Ensure to book a minivan in advance if you are carrying ski equipment. By Train – Innsbruck is well connected by trains with other European cities. You can take a train from any of the nearby airports to reach Innsbruck. Most tourists travel by train from Munich, Venice, Vienna, Zurich and Graz; there are train services to/from other European cities as well. The Austrian train services Ãâ€"sterreichische Bundesbahnen (OEBB)operates to the suburbs and other cities in the country. The main train station is in South-Tyrolean Square in the Innsbruck City Centre. Ensure to check for available discounts – you can get 50% discount with Ãâ€"BB Vorteilscard, 25% discount with rail card if you travel from another country and a special discount if you are under the age of 26. By Road – You can drive to Innsbruck via autobahn motorways A 12 or A 13. It is easy to drive to Innsbruck due to its location between the valleys. You will have to pay toll charges on both motorways; they are well maintained and make it easy to drive to Innsbruck. How to get around in Innsbruck The best way to explore Innsbruck is by walk or by bicycle. The city center and nearby places are within a few minutes by walk and this is the best way to enjoy the beautiful landscapes. You can drive within Innsbruck but it is difficult to find parking for long durations and hence not recommended. The public transportation in Innsbruck is efficient and connects all areas. The tickets are valid on buses, trams and trains within Innsbruck. There are 4 tram lines with 2 connecting the villages close by. Buses operate to the major tourist attraction areas and are scheduled and regular. S-bahn is the suburban train service that connects the city, towns and villages close by. Innsbruck Card promoted by Innsbruck tourism provides free entry to some of the tourist attractions including the Alpenzoo and public transportation; you can avail the card for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Top areas in Innsbruck Pradl – A very popular village in Innsbruck, Pradl is famous for its theatre Pradler jousting. The area is connected by tram and is easy to commute to and from the city center. Natters – Most famous for Lake Natters, Natters is located by the mountains. It is a village with a lot of history from the sixteenth century. It is a beautiful little village that makes for a quiet vacation with beautiful landscapes. Amras – Located on the motorway, Amras is well connected by tram and bus services. Amras is most known for its castle, gardens and parish. The village has a lot of chapels and is a perfect place for a leisure stroll with beautiful landscapes around the village. There are a lot of hotels available at reasonable prices in Amras. The famous shopping center DEZ Einkaufszentrum is located in Amras. Natters – This is a beautiful town in the Wipptal valleys that is most famous for its ancient buildings, which take you back to the sixteenth century. Hoetting – Hoetting is a beautiful small town in Innsbruck which is well connected by train and bus services. The town has several ancient churches that are worth visiting; the beautiful landscapes around add a scenic touch to the church buildings. The town also has Hunger castle and Hofgarten which attracts more tourists. Hofburg – This area is known for its palace and is a prominent cultural building in the country. The palace has a lot of ancient history with a beautiful Gothic hall and courtyard. The Apline Club museum is located in the vicinity. Lans – This area is most known for its skiing area, recreational center and Lanseree Lake. It offers the most beautiful surroundings with only about 1000 habitants. It has a lake that is preferred by tourists who want a quiet leisure vacation amidst pristine nature. You can play golf amidst the mountains and the lake. Lans is a beautiful place for a vacation either during summer by the lake or during winter by the snow clad mountains. Danke! (Thank You in German)

Form, Duration and Participation :: essays papers

Form, Duration and Participation There are three main structural features that are used to emphasize professional development for the teachers: Form, duration and participation. Form: Is basically the format that the professional development enrichment was taught or relayed to the teachers. There are two different types of activities to emphasize form of professional development. One type is reform activities which may include â€Å"study group, teacher network, mentoring relationship, committee or task force, internship, individual research project, or teacher resource center†(Birman, Desimone, Garet, and Porter, p.29). These activities require or almost force the teacher to interact with others who have a knowledge base of professional development. These activities aren’t just the teacher sitting and being instructed on what they as teachers should incorporate in the teaching policies but they are interacting and seeing what other teachers have done who may be similar to them (meaning teaching at the same school or the same grade) and what did and did not work for them in teaching activities to their class. The second activity is the basic wo rkshop or conference, which doesn’t necessarily, gives the teachers a chance to interact. Form all in all is the format in which the professional development skills are communicated to the teacher. Duration: This structure just raises the question of the amount of time spent in learning new innovations of professional development. Through research it has been proven that with a long span of duration in structure of professional development the outcome is more elaborate and effective. According to Designing Professional Development that Works â€Å"longer duration have more subject area content focus, more opportunities for active learning, and more coherence with teachers’ other experiences than do shorter activities†. This encourages professional development enrichment to be over a period of time to ensure that the teachers are grasping everything possible from the professional development enhancement. Participation: This structure is how the teacher interacts during the professional development. The question that is raised here is â€Å"Did groups of teachers from the same school, department, or grade level participate collectively, or did teachers from different schools individually?† (Birman, Desimone, Garet, and Porter, p.29). For the professional development to be most effective it’s insisted that teachers not only participate in the professional development improvements but collectively participate. Collective participation is the collaboration of teachers who may work within the same school, subject area, or grade level. Some of the advantages of collective participation are that the teachers may be able to tell one another a specific aspect of teaching that is helpful for teaching or a specific aspect that wasn’t as useful. Form, Duration and Participation :: essays papers Form, Duration and Participation There are three main structural features that are used to emphasize professional development for the teachers: Form, duration and participation. Form: Is basically the format that the professional development enrichment was taught or relayed to the teachers. There are two different types of activities to emphasize form of professional development. One type is reform activities which may include â€Å"study group, teacher network, mentoring relationship, committee or task force, internship, individual research project, or teacher resource center†(Birman, Desimone, Garet, and Porter, p.29). These activities require or almost force the teacher to interact with others who have a knowledge base of professional development. These activities aren’t just the teacher sitting and being instructed on what they as teachers should incorporate in the teaching policies but they are interacting and seeing what other teachers have done who may be similar to them (meaning teaching at the same school or the same grade) and what did and did not work for them in teaching activities to their class. The second activity is the basic wo rkshop or conference, which doesn’t necessarily, gives the teachers a chance to interact. Form all in all is the format in which the professional development skills are communicated to the teacher. Duration: This structure just raises the question of the amount of time spent in learning new innovations of professional development. Through research it has been proven that with a long span of duration in structure of professional development the outcome is more elaborate and effective. According to Designing Professional Development that Works â€Å"longer duration have more subject area content focus, more opportunities for active learning, and more coherence with teachers’ other experiences than do shorter activities†. This encourages professional development enrichment to be over a period of time to ensure that the teachers are grasping everything possible from the professional development enhancement. Participation: This structure is how the teacher interacts during the professional development. The question that is raised here is â€Å"Did groups of teachers from the same school, department, or grade level participate collectively, or did teachers from different schools individually?† (Birman, Desimone, Garet, and Porter, p.29). For the professional development to be most effective it’s insisted that teachers not only participate in the professional development improvements but collectively participate. Collective participation is the collaboration of teachers who may work within the same school, subject area, or grade level. Some of the advantages of collective participation are that the teachers may be able to tell one another a specific aspect of teaching that is helpful for teaching or a specific aspect that wasn’t as useful.

The Importance of Blake in Today’s World :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Importance of Blake in Today’s World      Ã‚   William Blake, who lived in the latter half of the eighteenth century and the early part of the nineteenth, was a profoundly stirring poet who was, in large part, responsible for bringing about the Romantic movement in poetry; was able to achieve "remarkable results with the simplest means"; and was one of several poets of the time who restored "rich musicality to the language" (Appelbaum v). His research and introspection into the human mind and soul has resulted in his being called the "Columbus of the psyche," and because no language existed at the time to describe what he discovered on his voyages, he created his own mythology to describe what he found there (Damon ix). He was an accomplished poet, painter, and engraver.    Blake scholars disagree on whether or not Blake was a mystic. In the Norton Anthology, he is described as "an acknowledged mystic, [who] saw visions from the age of four" (Mack 783). Frye, however, who seems to be one of the most influential Blake scholars, disagrees, saying that Blake was a visionary rather than a mystic. "'Mysticism' . . . means a certain kind of religious techniques difficult to reconcile with anyone's poetry," says Frye (Frye 8). He next says that "visionary" is "a word that Blake uses, and uses constantly" and cites the example of Plotinus, the mystic, who experienced a "direct apprehension of God" four times in his life, and then only with "great effort and relentless discipline." He finally cites Blake's poem "I rose up at the dawn of day," in which Blake states,    I am in God's presence night & day, And he never turns his face away (Frye 9).    Besides all of these achievements, Blake was a social critic of his own time and considered himself a prophet of times to come. Frye says that "all his poetry was written as though it were about to have the immediate social impact of a new play" (Frye 4). His social criticism is not only representative of his own country and era, but strikes profound chords in our own time as well. As Appelbaum said in the introduction to his anthology English Romantic Poetry, "[Blake] was not fully rediscovered and rehabilitated until a full century after his death" (Appelbaum v). For Blake was not truly appreciated during his life, except by small cliques of individuals, and was not well-known during the rest of the nineteenth century (Appelbaum v).